Ramaphosa needs to detail possible state of disaster on energy – analyst

Ramaphosa has indicated that the ANC's national executive committee is in favour is declaring the rolling blackouts as a state of disaster in order to free up funding to resolve the issue.

President Ramaphosa is set to deliver the State of the Nation Address on Thursday evening at the Cape Town City Hall.

READ: Ramaphosa yet to fulfil promises from previous SONA - EFF

Gouws, who is attached to the Political Science Department at the University of Stellenbosch, says more focus should be put on sustainable and green energy.

"Right now, what we need is sustainable energy, green energy. Not this absolute focus on coal, and I think that is why the president's hands are tied is because he is in a standoff with (Mineral Resources and Energy Minister) Gwede Mantashe about the coal issue. 

"Mantashe is very focused on having coal and burning coal as a form of energy and we can't do away with that overnight, but the point is we need to get the private sector to be involved.

"We need five more different types of energy and I am not sure that the unbundling of Eskom is actually going to make a huge difference. Things have moved on and we need to look at other solutions."

ALSO READ: Cele warns law breakers ahead of SONA

Gouws says Ramaphosa needs to act like a statesman by providing firm solutions to the crises affecting the country.

"He has to take a very firm stance, and one also wonders why he hasn't really announced a new cabinet? He had a perfect window of opportunity as they came out of the (ANC) elective conference as winners."